Mr. Speaker, in my opinion, many members of the House share the same concern. I know I do. Members not only from Atlantic Canada but across the country, especially from British Columbia as well, share concerns about the shipbuilding sector and the fact that the industry might be exposed to tremendous competition from EFTA countries, specifically Norway.
I am glad he mentioned Norway. That point was raised in committee on numerous occasions. We received clarification time and time again that Norway no longer had a program or a regime that provided subsidies. The concern with Norway is a legitimate concern, but it was been addressed in committee.
At the beginning of my comments, I said that we supported the agreement, but we had legitimate concerns about the need to ensure the meeting Canada's procurement policy was kept intact, which I believe it is. That is my understanding and that is what the minister and the government have said. I also said that I wanted further clarification on structured financing.
We need to pursue free trade agreements, especially with some of the challenges we face, such as the Doha development agenda. We need to create more export opportunities. With the strong Canadian dollar and the tightening of the border, we need to look at diversifying our markets. There is potential opportunity here, recognizing the concerns he has referred to with the shipbuilding. If the government could provide further clarification on a structured financing for the industry, that would definitely help the industry put itself in a competitive position going forward.